Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The archipelago is divided into 34 provinces with the capital Jakarta. It is a sovereign state with an elected legislature. Indonesia has one of the unique cultures in the world. Indonesia has one of the most diverse cultures in the world, influenced by several countries during its colonial era. It has an extensive collection of natural resources such as tin, gold, and oil. Some of the most interesting facts await you in this vast archipelago.
Here is a list of 28 interesting facts about Indonesia:
The biggest stinking flower
Rafflesia Arnoldi, the native flower of the island of Sumatra, is the largest single flower weighing up to 8 kg. It has a strong unpleasant odor and is also known as a carcass flower, so you will smell the flower long before you see it.
The largest islands
This is one of the facts about Indonesia that initially brought world recognition. The Indonesian archipelago consists of more than 17,000 islands, of which only a third are inhabited. You will be amazed to know that most of them are still unnamed. The total area of the islands in Indonesia is more than 5,000 km².
Maximum number of volcanoes
Perched on the confluence of two giant tectonic plates, Indonesia is a center of seismic and tectonic activity that has produced one of the most distinctive geological features in Indonesia; volcano. There are about 400 volcanoes still burning in Indonesia, 127 of which are now active.
Religion in Indonesia
This is one of the facts about Indonesia that surprises many people. Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia. However, faith varies from island to island. Bali, for example, has a predominantly Hindu population, while some islands are predominantly Christian.
Origin of the Word “Indonesia”?
It is used by the British and comes from the Greek word Nesos, which means island, and the Latin name Indus, which means land near the Indus River.
Variety of Indonesian language
Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia. There are more than 700 different dialects of Indonesian that can be heard on various islands in the country. The national language is similar to Malay because it was adopted by national leaders from the Malay language.
The most populous island in Indonesia
Java is the most populous island in the world with more than 140 million people. Indonesia ranks fourth in the world in terms of population – more than 240 million people.
Coffee beans are extracted from civet droppings!
Hold your appetite for this unique fact about Indonesia. The country is home to a feline mammal known as the Asian palm fox. The coffee beans are fed to this luwak, whose feces are collected to extract the famous Kopi Luwak coffee beans. Interestingly, this is the most expensive coffee bean in the world.
The largest gold mine in the world in Indonesia
No wonder if cheap gold jewelry can be found in Indonesia, because the largest gold mine, the Grasberg Mine, is here. A large workforce of thousands of workers work every day in the mines.
Meet the endangered Javan rhino.
Ujung Kulon National Park is the natural habitat of the endangered Javan rhino. They like to be left alone and have smaller heads than their African cousins. The saddest thing is that there are only about 50 of them left in the world.
Indonesia’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the world
This great fact about Indonesia says that Indonesia is included in the G20 group as the country with the fastest economic growth in the world, but about half of Indonesia lives on $ 2 per day. It is the sixteenth largest country in terms of nominal GDP. The country’s economy is mainly based on local and foreign companies.
Indonesia is a major exporter of frog legs
Indonesia is the world’s leading exporter of frog legs, with many European countries such as France, the Netherlands and Belgium being major importers. In 2015, the country exported more than 4,000 tonnes of frog feet to the European Union.
The lake is changing color
This fact about Indonesia may seem like something out of a fairy tale. Mount Kelimutu has prepared for you an exciting phenomenon. If you climb this volcano, you can see how the water in the lake changes color. This is due to the fact that volcanic gas reacts with the water in the lake.
The most explosive mountain
Mount Tambora is the most volcanic mountain in Indonesia. The most devastating eruption occurred in 1815 and was heard 1930 km from the island of Sumatra. Unfortunately, it claimed the lives of about 70,000 people.
Buddhas are everywhere in Borobudur Temple
Borobudur Temple has 504 Buddha statues with 2672 relief panels. The central dome of the temple is surrounded by 72 Buddhist stupas. The stupa is a symbol of Buddhism and is present in many other temples in Indonesia.
Grind your teeth to ward off all evil
The funny fact about Balinese is that they grit their teeth. The six upper teeth are ground to stop the six evil qualities – anger, confusion, desire, jealousy, greed and drunkenness. Strange facts about Indonesia isn’t it?
Just stay away from that flower
Amorphophallus titanium is the most fragrant flower in the world. The aroma can be heard from a mile away. It can reach a height of two meters and has an unpleasant smell of rotten meat. This is also the original island of Sumatra.
The first FIFA team from Southeast Asia
This fact about Indonesia for football fans. The first team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Southeast Asia is from Indonesia. The team was called the Dutch East Indies and played in France in 1938. However, in this team there were only players from the Netherlands.
The first developing country to launch its own satellite.
Palapa is a series of communications satellites launched by the United States but operated by Indonesia in 1976. Indonesia became the first developing country to use its own satellite system.
The most destructive volcanic eruption in human history.
As you know the most volcanic volcano in Indonesia, the eruption of Krakatau in 1883 was the deadliest volcanic eruption in human history. Most of the island and the surrounding area were destroyed. It is believed that seismic waves were observed even a year after 1884.
Meet the largest lizard in the world.
An interesting fact about Indonesia today is that dragons do exist here. Komodo dragons are one of the most adorable animals in Indonesia. This is the largest lizard in the world and can only be found in Indonesia. However, be careful because they are known as cannibals.
Deadly Harvest Festival
Pasola is a harvest festival in Sumba, Indonesia. This is one of the most luxurious celebrations because it involves throwing a blunt -tipped wooden spear at a member of the opposing team. Previously, suggestions were metallic and sharp enough to kill someone. Died during this party is a source of pride.
Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil.
Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil. This overtook Malaysia as the largest producer of palm oil in 2006 and currently produces 21 million tonnes of palm oil per year.
The biggest instant noodle package!
This fact about Indonesia is for all ramen lovers out there. Indonesian company Indomie has successfully entered the Guinness World Records for making the “largest instant noodle package”. It contains 665 kg of noodles. This bag is made of the same material as a regular bag. Therefore, it has been marked as fit for human consumption.
The most diverse flora and fauna
The island of Papua, belonging to the island of Indonesia, has the most diverse flora and fauna with more than 200 animals, 2300 species of various orchids and 600 nesting birds.
Javanese man
The “Javanese Man” fossil was discovered during the Dutch occupation in 1889 by Dutch physician Eugene Dubois. The fossil is scientifically named Homo Erectus and many more similar fossils have been found in the same area.
Intelligent road construction technology
Sosrobahu, a road construction technology developed by Indonesian engineer Tjokorda Raka Sukawati, has now been adopted in many countries due to its efficiency and cost savings. Many large countries such as China, France and Germany have adopted this technique.
Barrack Obama and Indonesia
Former US President Barack Obama spent most of his childhood in Indonesia. He visited Yogyakarta in Java in 2017. There he lived with his mother anthropologist Ann Dunham. He was a skilled researcher and known for his writings on village life.
Ugh! Indonesia is such a charming country. Well, here are twenty-eight interesting facts about Indonesia that will definitely brighten your trip to these beautiful islands.